


Whispers.

by Sincerely_Alex



Category: APH - Fandom, Axis Powers Hetalia, Hetalia - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmates AU, USUK - Freeform, WOOO, aph america/aph england, arthur kirkland/alfred f. jones - Freeform, that thing where you hear your soulmates voice in the back of your head
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-02-03 17:27:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12752862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sincerely_Alex/pseuds/Sincerely_Alex
Summary: Arthur's never worried about his soulmate. Everyone found theirs eventually. That is, until the world decided to taunt him with it.





	1. The first night.

_Arthur never really was one to care about his soulmate. Soulmates were something that you find eventually, not something you need to stress out about. Everything will happen eventually. That's what the entire term means- Soulmate is your one true mate in the world, you're not supposed to be forced to find them. When its right, you will just come across them one day. While some of his friends were relentlessly trying to find their soulmates, Arthur decided to just wait it out. He would find his eventually. He definitely was not stressing out about it. He was only 23, he had enough time. He told himself that everyday- but he was definitely not stressing out about it. No, not at all._

 

_It happens gradually, just like he thought it would. On his 21st birthday, he was out with his brothers at some random bar. While he was able to drink already, there was some form of American life-of-the-party charm that Seamas wanted to try out- so here they were. While Arthur was staring into space, his eyes on the plain white wall, he started to hear a soft almost, under-the-breath whisper in the back of his head. He thought it was just another person behind him, maybe at a table next to his or walking down the aisle to the bathroom or to the bar or something. But it kept going. It was a soft voice that sounded like it was right next to him. He couldn't exactly make out what it was saying but what he did understand was talking about a dog or something named Tony. He figured it was a dog. That sounds like a dog name. It's a human name, as well, but it sounded like the person was using a little baby voice- the kind you’d use for a pet-a dog. You don't really hear a lot of birds or cats named Tony. It seems like a dog. Arthur felt his stomach turn, not unpleasantly. He got extremely excited almost right away pushing right past his older brother and rushing to the restroom._

_Apparently, when you're within a short amount of time of finding your soulmate, you'll start to hear things. You’ll start to hear parts of conversations they're having, things that they're saying to themselves even. They can be random things-maybe just talking to a friend or to a family member on the phone, but you will hear it. At first, it’s muffled and quiet. Eventually, it gets clearer and louder until it sounds just like they’re right next to you. You don’t really have a warning, though. You just hear voices sometimes. You can’t exactly assign anything to the voice- words, gender, tone, emotion- absolutely nothing. It’s rare you’ll already know the voice, but it does happen. Sometimes you already know your soulmate. Those are the lucky ones._

_Once Arthur made it to the bathroom, he rushed himself into a stall and pressed himself against the closed door. There were a couple people in the bathrooms, peeing or washing their hands, but he didn’t care. He probably just looked like a random drunk guy running to the stalls to throw up. Arthur closed his eyes tightly, covering his ears in hopes to hear something more. It would be like a voice in his head, seeming almost like your own thoughts. He prayed silently that he hadn’t missed it, that it wasn’t over already. Nothing. Arthur’s breathing calmed after a while, the excitement draining from his chest. Nothing. His hands fell to his sides, a disappointed sigh coming from his lips. Nothing. It had been almost 5 minutes. Nothing._

_It took everything in Arthur's composure to calmly walk back to the table his brothers were seated at. Allistor asked him if he was alright, of course, since they had had a couple of drinks already and he knew how low and weak Arthur's alcohol tolerance was. That's right- they've been drinking. Maybe he really wasn't hearing anything at all. Maybe he was just really tired and wasted and was just was humoring himself. Would not be the first time. The night continued on without any more random whispers about dogs until he came home, when it happened again._

_Arthur was stumbling back into his bedroom, tossing his jacket onto his drawer without a second thought. He'd worry about keeping neat and tidy in the morning. He was feeling light-headed and figured he might pass out at any moment, so it’d probably be best to lay down. He flopped onto the mattress, running a hand through his hair as he breathed out slowly. While he lie there, his eyes on the blank white triviality of his ceiling, he heard it again. A quiet voice in the back of his head, but it was slightly clear this time. He was definitely talking about a dog. Hey, that's right. He. It was definitely a man's voice, which made sense. Arthur knew he was gay from a very young age. Although sexuality was kind of obsolete now, since soulmates weren't exactly in control of who they ended up with and what gender they identified as, but Arthur always preferred men over women by a landslide. This man's voice was slightly odd, but he couldn't quite place it. There was something different about it that he didn't recognize. He was talking about a dog. Yes. A dog named Tony, apparently about not chasing a leaf? Was that leaf? What was he saying? He couldn't quite tell. The man laughed, and Arthur felt warmth spread through his chest. His eyes grew heavier, and willing himself to stay awake and listen wasn’t enough. He drifted off to sleep, a content feeling throughout his body._

* * *

 

_He woke around noon, an aching pain in the back of his head. Hangovers, Fun. It was definitely not the first time Arthur’s dealt with this. Everything from the night before was kind of askew in his memory. He didn't really remember any of it,actually, but one thing it did stay in his mind he- had heard his soulmate. Unfortunately, there's no way to rewind messages from them, nor is there a way to request a message from them. Arthur will just have to wait until the next time he heard him- was which was going to be a very long time from then._


	2. The first day.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur hears his soulmate again, this time, for sure.

_The next time Arthur heard his soulmate was almost a year-and-a-half later._

_He was wandering through grocery store on a Saturday. It was busy as hell but he unfortunately waited too long and needed to stock up on a few important essentials. He’d completely forgotten about hearing his soulmate and just decided it was something he'd made up in his drunken haze. Of course, he did not take the realization lightly. He complained to his brothers for a long time until they got tired of hearing it and he got tired of talking about it. He was making his way through the dairy aisle when you heard something behind him- it was a familiar voice talking about some form of research paper or something. It was clearer than he last remembered, but with the hectic noise around him in the store, it was difficult to understand what his soulmate was actually saying. God, his soulmate. He wasn’t imagining it! Something became incredibly obvious now- something that he noticed the first time he heard him, but couldn't quite place- he was American. Arthur always figured his soulmate would be British as well, since usually your soulmate is within the same country. This, of course, raised some concerns. What if he never actually met his soulmate? Being across the world was a little difficult when it came to meeting, falling in love, getting married and growing old together. There was always the possibility that he was an American on vacation in England, or studying abroad- something that might make sense for the research paper bit- but it still worried him. Also, he was standing right in the middle of the aisle between the milk and the eggs and people are starting to give him weird looks._

_He quickly moved to the side and pull out his phone, holding it to his ear to pretend he was calling someone, but mostly just so we could block out some of the noise around him and try to listen more. The voice came again, much to his appreciation. He was definitely talking about some world history essay or something stupid. He wondered how old his soulmate was. Was he maybe in High School? Was he at a university? Some Community College? Where was he? Arthur listened attentively, praying for something to give him a clue as to where to find him, but it was fruitless. The voice left as soon as it came, and Arthur was left sitting in front of the chocolate and strawberry milk and the orange juice with a silent phone pressed against his right ear- upside down, mind you. He didn't quite notice that._

_As soon as he was in his car, he called his little brother. Oh, he was excited. Of course, that excitement of his died off as the realization that his soulmate may be in a different country came back into his mind. Owen tried to comfort him, telling him that the world would not be this cruel as to give him little clips of his soulmate when they would never meet. There have never been cases of people hearing their soulmate and then never finding them, unless of course they died or something beforehand. That didn't help Arthur's concerns much either, but at least his worriment was a bit more irrational than before. He didn't hear his soulmate again that night, but luckily it didn't take over a year to hear him again- it only took a matter of days._


	3. Half-conversation.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, Arthur's soulmate doesn't feel like waiting until they meet to actually talk to him. Arthur is cool with that.

_His soulmate talked about, dogs, school, movies, food- he talked about food a lot. Mostly he really just talked about anything that was on his mind. Sometimes, Arthur heard slight conversations-mostly from the second party. What he heard of his soulmate was mostly sounds of agreement and acknowledgement that the other person was talking. This didn't really help Arthur much, but at this point he would listen to anything his soulmate had to say. It was a lovely sound- his accent, his voice, his sense of humor. He laughed a lot and always seemed to be in a cheerful mood, but when he wasn't Arthur could actually feel his heart break along with him. He wondered what his soulmate heard of him, if anything. He never really thought anything he said was all too interesting,- that was, apparently, until he actually got a response from his soulmate._

_Arthur was sitting in his living room, reading one of his favorite novels for the 1,600th time when the voice came back in the corner of his mind. He wasn't too surprised to hear this time, since it had been happening quite a bit. Arthur would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited about it. He put his book down and began to listen attentively to his soulmate, sitting up a bit straighter. Whatever he had to say, he sounded nervous, his voice slightly softer than usual._

**_“..So.. what's your name?”_ **

_Arthur waited for something else, maybe his soulmate was meeting someone new for the first time. He hoped this wouldn't be another completely one-sided conversation where all he’d hear from his soulmate were sounds of affirmation._

**_“..Can you not hear me? Shit, I forgot you only hear what the world wants you to hear.. I'm probably just talking to dead air, aren't i?”_ **

_That got Arthur's attention. He was about to say something in response but he figured it was useless to try,so he just kept quiet and kept listening._

**_“..What am I even thinking? Even if you could hear me right now, it's not like I could hear you. I think I know your name..? From what I've heard of you, and your conversations, I've heard you introduce yourself once but I could be wrong.. It starts with an A, right?”_ **

_Arthur froze feeling all the blood rush either to his face or from his face- he couldn't quite tell._

**_“Mine starts with an A, too..! I’m not going to tell you, though. I want to properly introduce myself to you once I meet you.”_ **

_So we wasn't actually getting a name from my soulmate today. Damn. Not that Arthur thought it would help him in any way- he wasn't going to go looking for him. You can't force fate. It'd just be nice to put a name to the voice in his head. Then again, his soulmate didn't know his name. He supposed that was fair._

**_“..I really like your accent, who knew I would find my soulmate the one time I'm on vacation in a foreign country. That might make things difficult, since I'm going a million places each day to see everything I can and I might skip right over you.”_ **

_He was in England, at least.Thank god. Is he even in London?_

_**“Anyway..its not like you can hear me, so I’ll stop talking to myself now. I probably seem crazy.”** _

_Arthur tensed, his fingers gripping at his sleeves as he prayed his soulmate would continue speaking, but he didn’t. Not for the rest of the night, at least. Arthur almost tried willing his head to listen more, hoping for some sort of continuation, but it didn’t come. He tried his best to answer him, even getting to the point of yelling at himself in an empty room in an attempt to get his soulmate to hear him, but it didn't work. He felt helpless. Even though he knew his soulmate was going to meet him eventually, that wasn't enough._


	4. First date.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ..But not the one you were hoping for.

_Arthur wasn't exactly upset,-he wasn't in the best mood- but he wasn't upset. The idea that his soulmate might not hear what he wants him to did scare him, but he needed to have hope, When you start hearing your soulmate once every day or two, it means you're coming very close to meeting them in person. That excited him, at least. He was worried maybe his soulmate wasn’t who he assumed he was- maybe his soulmate will be too good him. Arthur did find himself slowly falling in love with his soulmate-or at least, what he heard of him. He was funny, humorous, never really took anything seriously- but when he did, he was genuine and proved that he actually cared. Arthur wanted that kind of person in his life, and it seems like he would have it..eventual,y. He just really had no idea when._

_Now, there's no rule against hearing your soulmate, knowing you going to come in contact with them, and dating someone else. Dating was, surprisingly, not obsolete with the rise of soulmates. There's no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy your freedom before you actually find your true soulmate. It’s almost like practice for your real relationship. Regardless, Arthur figured dating wasn't for him, but he absentmindedly agreed to something and there was no going back on it. He doesn't even remember why he agreed to it- he was probably drinking, or just very, very tired. Francis was kind- a bit too kind, though. He was always flirting with his co-workers and friends, but he always seemed to have his eyes on Arthur._

_Anyway, Arthur had a date with someone that was most certainly not his soulmate and he was kind of freaking out. He wasn't freaking out because he was nervous or anxious for the night ahead- he was freaking out because he had no interest in the date or the person it was with whatsoever. But unfortunately, had really no way of canceling it or calling it off. There was no way he could just tell Francis about his soulmate, even though if he did, he would probably call it off for him and tell him that ‘love was the most important thing and that the date didn't matter’. But at the same time, he knew if he told him, Francis would never let it go. He’d end up saying that ‘because of him and his generosity and selflessness, putting off the date, he and his soulmate got together’, even if that has no connection at all. He'll find a way to put on himself and, even if he doesn't and he's actually kind of decent about leaving their privacy to themselves, he /will never,ever, ever/ keep his nose out of their business. He will have to hear every little detail and never stop giving them ‘advice’ that they were ‘lucky to have’. Francis himself was hopeless and has not heard anything from the soulmate yet, even though he claims to be the near messiah or romance and true love. Of course, that doesn't stop him from wanting to date everyone the world has to offer. He keeps saying that maybe the soulmate system is corrupt and he'll find that special someone by accident Arthur doesn’t really care- or at least, he didn’t until recently. The way he saw it, just long as he eventually found someone, he’d be content._

_But for now, he has a date with a flirtatious, hopeless Frenchman at 8 at a fancy restaurant that he's required to dress up for. He felt like he was betraying his soulmate, even though there was nothing official yet between them. He felt bad about it, like he was lying or keeping something from his mysterious suitor. Maybe he would tell him once they met to make a joke out of it, but regardless of what he planned, he was now forcing himself to put on a white dress shirt and a dark green vest, a small bow tie and black dress pants. Hopefully, this was a form of formal that Francis would accept. Knowing him, though he probably went all out and bought him 7 million roses already. While Arthur was looking forward to any whisper or acknowledgement from his soulmate the world was willing to offer him, he prayed that for tonight, he wouldn’t hear anything. He would feel guilty beyond belief that he was going on a date with someone- even someone he had 0% interest in. He would feel terrible. He already feels like they've a commitment to each other, even though they know almost nothing about each other. He felt like he was cheating on him somehow. Anyway, no more time to worry about his soulmates opinion on the matter, there was a knock at the door downstairs and Arthur found himself rushing down the stairs to answer it._

_Francis greeted him with a smile, kissing the back of his hand, which Arthur wiped on his jacket as they walked to the car._

_The night wasn’t exactly bad- but it wasn’t the most enjoyable, either. Sure, Francis brought up some interesting topics of conversation, but nothing really sparked Arthur’s interest. He found his thoughts drifting almost every five minutes, and his responses to Francis’ questions got shorter and shorter as the night went on. It was tolerable at the start, but after maybe a half an hour, he was ready to go home. He was about to make up some random excuse to get himself out of the situation early, when he heard a voice in the back of his head. Damn it._

_**“Hey, sorry I’m late, I had to take a cab. I don’t trust myself driving here- everyone drives on the other side of the road.”** _

_Yep, that was definitely him. Arthur felt the guilt set in rather quickly, but he tried to ignore it. He pretended to still be invested in the conversation with Frenchy, nodding and making little sounds of agreement. Well, if he was going to be subjected to the wonderfully painful guilt-filled words of his future lover, he might as well listen._

_**“You look amazing.”** _

_Wait-..No, Arthur was just overthinking it. What did Francis say? Something about the stars and how they connect with the feeling of romance, probably. Just smile and nod._

_**“Sorry if I’m a little awkward.. I haven’t been on an actual date in a while.”** _

_No. No no no no no. He felt himself tense, a painful stab in his chest. Francis paused, tilting his head. He asked if something was wrong, but Arthur couldn’t respond. He could only keep listening._

_**“Thank’s for agreeing to this, too.. I was a little nervous asking you out.”** _

_Francis asked again, and Arthur knew he had to say something this time. He shakily stood, telling him he was going to use the bathroom, that he didn’t feel well. He thought maybe he heard Francis ask if he needed him to come with, but he rushed to the restrooms before he could finish his sentence. God, what was with him and going to the bathroom when he was freaking out?_

_He felt hypocritical. He felt selfish and stupid, but no amount of scolding himself and telling himself everything was going to be okay was helping. He covered his ears, almost screaming in an attempt to block out the voice. He hated having to hear this. What made it even worse was the idea that maybe, just maybe, his soulmate knew he was on a date, too. It was like they didn’t even mean anything to each other._

_After a while, Francis came into the bathroom and found Arthur, curled up on the floor against a stall door. Arthur gave in and told him everything. Surprisingly, Francis wasn’t too eager with his questions- that doesn’t mean there weren’t any, of course- he could understand how distraught Arthur was, but he was still as needy and nosy as ever. He asked if there was anything he could do to help, and Arthur simply told him to take him home._

_As Francis escorted him out of the restaurant, Arthur kept his gaze on the ground. He didn’t want to start crying in the middle of the dining area, but that probably meant he was going to start crying in the car as Francis drove him home. With his attention on the royal green carpet under his feet, he completely missed the foreign blue eyes that curiously following him out towards the door, before looking back at his 'date'._


	5. Tears suck.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More angst. Woooooo

_Arthur didn’t know what he expected to happen when he got home. He didn’t know if he was hoping to hear for him, or if he was going to break down and cry- but it turned out to be the latter. Once he was inside and alone, he started bawling. He felt like such a hypocrite. He had been on a date with someone knowing full well his soulmate was out there, and that it was nearing time to meet him, but it wasn’t the same thing! Arthur had no interest in pursuing anything with Francis- it was mostly just to get the old frog off his back. But what if his soulmate really wanted something with that person? While it was unlikely, Arthur’s head didn’t seem to care. He found himself sinking onto the floor in front of his front door, his knees coming up to his chest as he cried into the white cuffs of his dress shirt._

_Tear stained things were always something he enjoyed- it sounded poetic. Like a tear-stained shoulder when you’re partner cried against you before you leave, or tears staining a shirt an ex left behind. He always saw deep, meaningful beauty behind it. But now that it was happening to him- now that he could feel his wet tears seeping into his shirt and dampening his wrist, it hurt like hell._

_After a while, Arthur found himself laying on his back in between the living room and kitchen. He was just kind of breathing, trying to clear his head before he got up to go to bed. Nothing came. No epiphany to tell him everything was going to be okay, no call from Francis to check up on him and make sure he at least made it out of the mud room, and certainly nothing from his soulmate. Not until he had given up trying to hear from him for the night, at least._

_He had taken a shower, and managed to keep himself from crying for a good 30 minutes. He wiped down his hair and most of his body with a towel, before simply wrapping it around his waist and sitting himself down on the floor of his bathroom. Arthur tilted his head back against the edge of the bathtub, feeling little droplets from his hair slide down his cheeks, down his shoulders and slip their way down to his chest. He breathed out slowly, his eyes closing as he spoke._

**_“I didn’t mean to freak out. Even though you don’t know I freaked out.”_ **

_Did he honestly expect his soulmate to be listening?_

**_“I shouldn’t have been jealous. It’s not my place.”_ **

_Not only did he have 0% control over what his soulmate heard and when, but wasn’t he still on a date with someone? Even if he got lucky and the world decided this was a good time for his soulmate to listen in on his life, he’d probably just tune him out or excuse it as background noise at the restaurant._

_**“I was on a date, too. Not a real date, but it was a date nonetheless.”** _

_Maybe whatever type of date his soulmate was one wasn’t a real date either. That’d just make him seem like even more of an ass._

_**“I had no right to feel as betrayed as I did.”** _

_Was he saying all of this in hopes that his soulmate might be listening and be able to understand something he didn’t even witness, or was he just saying it to himself so he’d feel like less of a dick?_

**_“I assumed the worst, and it was on me. We don’t exactly have any real commitment to each other yet, and I really shouldn’t have felt like you were cheating on me or anything. That’s dumb and hypocritical.”_ **

_He had been sitting on the bathroom floor, his head against the bathtub as he stared at the ceiling and talked to himself for maybe 20 minutes now._

_**“This is stupid. I’m sorry.”** _

_It took a few more minutes of silence until Arthur realized that the voice he heard next wasn’t himself mindlessly rambling. It was soft, quiet, maybe even a little strained._

**_“Don’t be.”_ **


	6. Short and salty.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hnnn I know this is short and I know it took too long to upload- A lot has happened within the past few days :OOO

_At first, Arthur thought he was hearing things. Sometimes, when someone is so incredibly desperate for something, they’ll make themselves believe they have it. He was probably just hearing things. (Which, ironically, was the same thing he thought to himself the first time he heard from his soulmate.) He gave it a couple seconds, before giving up and running a hand through his hair. The painful, lonely feeling seeped back into Arthur’s chest, before another voice came in through the white noise of his slow, shallow breaths._

**_‘Don’t be sorry, honey. I’ll explain everything soon.’_ **

_Once Arthur actually processed the words, tears came to his eyes with such a force, he couldn’t actually tell what emotion was overwhelming him._

**_-_ **

* * *

 

_Although Arthur hadn’t heard anything more from his future partner that night, it felt like an extremely heavy weight was being lifted off of him. Even then, he didn’t feel too well. Obviously, Arthur stayed home from work the next day. He didn’t feel like entire shit, but once he woke up, he knew he was going to spend the rest of the day in bed. Sure, the little reassurance the night before was pretty helpful, and without it, he might have been unable to get to sleep in the first place._

_Why was his soulmate out with someone if there was something to explain? Was there really something to explain? Or was it one of those times where you’re caught doing something you shouldn’t be and you instinctively say ‘I can explain!’? Maybe his soulmate had been in a similar situation that he had been in? It was a little unlikely for both of them to be forced into a date with someone they had no interest in on the same exact night. That was too perfect- Was perfect the right word?_

_Sure, it was unlikely, but Arthur wasn't sure if it was an amazing, lovestruck miracle, or if it was an unfortunate coincidence. Either way, he didn't really know how to deal with it. His chest ached, even if he tried to get his mind off of it. He could try to get back to sleep? Nope. After nearly an hour of rolling over and changing his position about 19 times, he gave up._

_Arthur rolled onto his side, barely awake as he rubbed his eyes gently. He was pretty keen on staying in bed for the rest of the day and giving himself time to think. Or cry. Or both. Maybe neither. He didn’t really have anything he could do that would keep him from either having a meltdown about the situation, or fantasizing about how gorgeous his soulmate’s voice was._

_(Then again, if he started fantasizing, the thought of his soulmate might make him have a meltdown anyway. Fuck. He really had no way of getting out of the inevitable panic attack.)_

_Unfortunately, his day of moping and considering was cut short when his phone made a little bloop noise. Who's text tone was that, again? He lazily reached over and grabbed it, sliding the screen unlocked and reading the text he was sent. One of his friends had messaged him, promptly making him sit up. He guessed he wouldn't be staying in bed for too long this morning. Maybe that'll be good for him? He wasn't sure. Either way, Arthur was standing and starting to pull on more presentable clothing._

**_‘Francis told me everything. Get out of bed, Pouty McPouterson, we’re going out.’_ **


	7. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hooooo boy im so sorry for the lack of content recently! A lots been happening and I havent had time nor motivation to write..! Im sorry !!!

_If it weren't for the fact that this particular friend- the one that was currently driving him god knows where- was his best friend in the entire world and universe, he would have just stayed home and pouted all day. But this friend was his best friend in the entire world and universe, so he was going shopping._

_Her name is Willow, and she's nearly a literal angel. Gorgeous platinum blonde hair that runs down a bit past her shoulders, pale, soft skin and thick-rimmed purple glasses, she was quite the looker. However, she didn't have too good of luck with romantic partners- Ever since Willow came out as asexual, men found her less desirable. Arthur hated it, but there was nothing he could do about it. He knew that someday, she would find her soulmate and be happy. Finally. But for now, Willow told people she was dating Draco Malfoy- which was enough to at least get a laugh out of people. She always knew Arthur would end up finding the perfect man for him, too. Almost pushing it, actually. Any time they went out and she caught Arthur's attention on literally any guy, she would become 100% positive that he was the one. Even if Arthur only glanced at him for a moment, Willow reminded him there was always a chance. Arthur didn't doubt this little shopping date was going to be full of Willow pointing out any cute guy within a 10 foot radius of them._

_They pulled up into a large parking lot in front of Willow's favorite mall. She pulled herself out of the car, before opening the door for Arthur. He thanked her weakly, his eyes staying on the ground. He wanted to be positive today. He knew his friend was trying to make him happy- to give him a good day. To get his mind off of the past coupled days. But he couldnt ignore the sickening feeling in his chest- it felt like something was trying to physically pull him to the ground. He felt tired and unmotivated, but Willow seemed excited to get him a new outfit- she said if he wore something pretty, his soulmate might find him on his own. Arthur smiled at that, but every little mention of his soulmate made his heart ache. Willow eventually caught onto that, and changed the topic to the many shenanigans of her brother within the past week, but Arthur mostly tuned her out. He didnt mean to, but he had too much on his mind._

_Within an hour or two, they had hit most of the stores in the mall- clothes, perfume, candles- but never book stores. Willow owned her own small, local bookstore within town- and she felt like she was cheating on it by looking around in bigger stores. That at least got a smile from Arthur. When he actually thought about it, the day wasnt exactly going badly- it was a rather nice day. The weather was clear for the first time in weeks, and it had been a while since he was able to just spend some time with his friend. She was really sweet and could always make him smile, so why not today? He could try. At least for her, if not for himself, he could try._

* * *

 

_Everything went well for the rest of the day. Willow would tell a joke every 5 minutes to keep Arthur in a good mood, and he would laugh. He'd laugh for both of them, until he was finally, actually in a good mood. He'd find his soulmate eventually and they'd explain everything to each other. Everything was alright- even if he didnt quite know his soulmate right now, he had a wonderful friend with him, willing to take him out for lunch in a little cafe in a London mall. Everything was okay, and Arthur was content again. Sure, he might end up feeling lonely after Willow goes home at the end of the day, but he reminded himself- he has his bunnies if no one else. He liked that. He reminded Willow of that out loud, which made her smile. Good. A nice day._

_Right, lunch. That was a thing they were doing, right? Yeah._

_Arthur liked this cafe. It was cute and always seemed to smell like Blue Lady tea- which was his favorite tea- yet somehow, they didnt serve it. That always confused him, but he enjoyed the atmosphere nevertheless. Willow found a nice little table in the corner, presenting it to Arthur in a fake deep-voiced, posh waiter voice._

**_"I present to you, good sir, your five star table."_ **

**_"You're a nerd."_ **

**_"John Lennon himself has sat in that exact chair."_ **

**_"Willow- Oh my god."_ **

**_"It's like a butt-autograph."_ **

_Arthur was laughing, finally, and Willow felt accomplished. He sat, and she golf-clapped for him, making him only laugh more. Now, how could anyone be sad when he had a friend like that?_

_They talked for a bit before deciding on what they wanted. Willow usually just got a fancy tea drink and a muffin or something, but Arthur convinced her to get herself a brownie this time. She liked them, but she always felt bad after eating them. (Arthur seriously didnt know why- she was a rather thin woman, but bullying in high school always sticks with you after graduation.) He decided on just a drink for himself, even after Willow begged him to get some actual food. Even if he was in a good mood now, he still didnt feel like eating. He would try later, but for now, he was alright with some raspberry herbal tea._

_Arthur stood, beginning to make his way through the crowded cafe to the front desk to order their things. This was a rather popular shop, given how nice everything is here. The workers are always really nice and the food and drinks here are the best. He wondered why he didnt come here as often as he wanted. He and Willow might just have to make it a weekly thing- maybe her brother could tag along too. The thought made him smile._

_He was maybe five feet away from the counter when he heard a familiar voice in the back of his head, making him freeze in place._

**_"Yeah, but like, is it even safe? Doesnt it rain during the winter here, too? Imagine the ice, dude."_ **

_He wasnt sure how he felt about hearing him now. He should be happy, right? But would it ruin his day with Willow? Would he be happier..? Would he cry? He paused, his chest aching as he started to keep walking-..but the voice got quieter._

**_"That's dumb. Why would he think that'd be okay?"_ **

_He hesitated, feeling his heartbeat quicken as he turned, starting to walk closer to the voice. He found himself standing in front of a table with two guys and a girl, sitting and casually talking. He felt creepy, but he couldnt bring himself to care when his eyes met those of a gorgeous man across the table. He looked up, a bit confused._

_Oh my god. No fucking way._

 


	8. Not about angels.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! Its been months, I know!!! School! Sudden boyfriend! Family issues and the Good Depression Shit(tm)! But I'm back ! For now! I dont know how long this chapters going to be, but i felt like getting myself to do something bc Im in such a good mood! Thank you for being patient!!!

_This was not happening. There was no way. Not here, right? Could the world be this cruel? Cruel, is that the word he was looking for? Was this even a bad thing? Arthur glanced behind himself at Willow, seeing she was on her phone and not watching him with a confused expression as he worried she might be. He could manage a couple minutes at this table without worrying her, right? If the people at this table would even listen to him.._

_That man was staring at him, wasn't he?_

**_"I-.."_ **

_Arthur tried to get something out. He wanted desperately to tell this man everything. Absolutely everything. All the mixes of emotions that would flood his head and chest and stream throughout his body like electricity when he heard his voice, how addicted he was to that gorgeous accent, that adorable innocent humor behind his words. About all the things he imagined their future together holding- theyd have about 50 rabbits and eventually adopt kids. They'd like in a big fancy house in London- or a pretty beach-side condo in America, he couldnt decide which. (Where in America was this guy even from?) They'd be happy together every moment of their lives and never feel lonely or discouraged ever again._

_But looking at him now, that gorgeous, muscular tan figure with lovely golden hair and the most intoxicating blue eyes Arthur's ever seen in his entire life-...Nothing came out of his mouth besides a couple stuttering noises and attempts at English._

_The man, thank god, stood. He looked just about as flustered as Arthur was, and part of him worried that the man wasn't happy to see him. Oh, fuck, was Arthur intruding on another date? He shouldnt have even followed the voice. This man was obviously in the middle of something- maybe these were his coworkers, his family, his friends, maybe both of them were his partners. But either way, Arthur should /not/ be there, right? His soulmate obviously didn't seem too happy to see him-..Until Arthur saw the most beautiful grin start to form on the man's face._

**_"..You're Arthur."_ **

_Oh, he knew his name? Right.. He knew more things that Arthur did, he forgot about that._

**_"..Yes."_ **

_Why was he being so quiet? So hesitant? This could possibly be the happiest moment of his life, and he was acting like it was his first day of secondary school. He was fidgeting with the inside of his sleeves as he stared anxiously at the man who, apparently, knew his name before he even got out a single word in front of him. God, hearing his name in that voice felt so good._

**_"It's really you?"_ **

_He sounded as hesitant as Arthur was, but there was excitement in his tone- which made Arthur nearly shudder. God, this was going to kill him sooner or later. If he was meant to spend the rest of his life with this man, how was he expected to survive with such a lovable partner??_

**_"It's me.."_ **

_Arthur could barely get out his simple, two-word response, before the man's arms were around him. It took him a moment or so to process what was actually going on. The man was hugging him. He was being /hugged/ by his /soulmate./ His soulmate was hugging him. /He was hugging him./ Arthur wanted nothing more than to just wrap his arms around his neck and kiss him with as much passion as he could muster while still being aware of the fact that they were in public, but all he could do was cry. While its not at all close to what he wanted his first in-person impression on his soulmate to be, it was all he could do. He couldnt exactly pinpoint what emotion was fronting the most- was he just overwhelmed? He was happy, of course, but-..sure, it was stupid, but Arthur was worried about his outward appearance. His soulmate looked absolutely stunning, and Arthur looked like a sad, short, pathetic pale guy that spend the past day or so crying. If he had knew that today was going to be The Day, he would have worn something else that didnt look like trash on him. Well, he didnt look /too/ bad, but he felt like he wasn't enough right now._

_He tried to push all those intrusive thoughts way, though- because his future partner was hugging him closer and he was rubbing at his arms and one hand was gently caressing his shoulder because he knew Arthur would be nervous and he could tell he was crying and oh /fuck/ thats so sweet of him. Arthur was worried his heart might just burst from his chest._

**_"..Alfred."_ **

_It took him another couple of seconds before he could actually process what he meant. It kind of clicked in his head after a moment, and he couldnt stop a smile from forming on his face. Alfred. His soulmates name was Alfred. Alfred. Alfred Alfred Alfred, Arthur repeated the name in his head over and over until it became somewhat of a song, and he felt /good./ He felt /good/ in his arms. He felt /amazing/ being this close to him. He knew right then that he wanted to be in his arms- Alfred's arms, forever. Even if that was a little impossible, he wanted it._

_How long were they standing there, just locked in a tight embrace?  Long enough that it had to be minutes before Arthur noticed that the other people at Alfred's table were clapping for them. If Arthur's face wasn't burning already, it certainly was now. Still, he didnt pull himself away. He didn't want to pull himself away. He was too happy. Too comfortable. God, he was grinning like an idiot against Alfred's shoulder, feeling one his hands gently rubbing up and down his back in an attempt to keep get his crying to stop, but also just to he had an excuse to touch him._

_Arthur only pulled away when he felt a little tap at his shoulder. He turned, seeing a very smug Willow with her arms folded as she grinned._

**_"Care to introduce me?"_ **


End file.
